Elevated open-center transit guideway with open-mesh screen emergency walkway

Abstract

An elevated transit system has a pair of spaced apart guideways for supporting a vehicle. The guideways are supported on vertical columns above the ground. An emergency walkway extends between the guideways The walkway has a plurality of apertures to allow the passage of sunlight to the ground below.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A transit system, comprising: 
 a pair of spaced apart guideways for supporting a vehicle;    a plurality of vertical columns, the guideways being supported on the columns elevated above the ground; and    an emergency walkway extending between the guideways, the walkway having a plurality of apertures for the passage of sunlight to the ground.    
     
     
         2 . The transit system of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of beams extending transversely between the guideways, the walkway being supported by the beams.  
     
     
         3 . The transit system of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a portal in the walkway for allowing a pedestrian to descend below the walkway to the ground.    
     
     
         4 . The transit system of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 inward extending lip on each of the guideways, the walkway having outer edges that overlie and are supported by the lips.    
     
     
         5 . The transit system of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a plurality of beams extending transversely between the guideways; and    an inward extending lip on each of the guideways, the walkway being a metal plate supported by the beams and the lips.    
     
     
         6 . The transit system of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 an inward extending lip on each of the guideways, the walkway having outer edges that overlie and are supported by the lips; and    a plurality of retainers extending between the lips and the guideways.    
     
     
         7 . A transit system, comprising: 
 a plurality of upright columns having lower ends supported in the ground;    a cross member located at an upper end of each of the columns;    a pair of spaced-apart guideways extending between the columns and supported on the cross-members;    a vehicle that is carried on the guideways;    a plurality of beams extending between the guideways; and    a plurality of mesh walkway plates extending between the guideways and supported by the beams for allowing passengers of the vehicle to disembark from the vehicle and the transit system in the event of a malfunction, the walkway plates allowing sunlight to pass through to the ground.    
     
     
         8 . The transit system according to  claim 7 , wherein the vehicle has a side door for normal ingress and egress and front and rear emergency doors for emergency egress.  
     
     
         9 . The transit system according to  claim 8  wherein the emergency doors comprise folding ramps to facilitate access to the walkway plates.  
     
     
         10 . The transit system of  claim 7 , further comprising: 
 a portal in one of the walkway plates for allowing a passenger walking along the walkway plates to descend below the walkway plates to the ground.    
     
     
         11 . The transit system of  claim 7 , further comprising: 
 inward extending lip on each of the guideways, the walkway plates having outer edges that overlie and are supported by the lips.    
     
     
         12 . The transit system of  claim 11 , further comprising a plurality of retainers extending cooperatively between the walkway plates and the lips for retaining the walkway plates on the lips.  
     
     
         13 . A transit system, comprising: 
 a plurality of columns extending upward from the earth    a cross member located at an upper end of each of the columns;    a pair of spaced-apart guideways extending between the columns and supported on the cross-members, each of the guideways being an enclosure with a top, a bottom, an outer sidewall, and an inner sidewall, the inner sidewall having a longitudinally extending slot;    each of the inner sidewalls having a longitudinally extending lip adjacent the bottom;    a vehicle having wheels located within the enclosure between the inner and outer sidewall, the wheels being supported on axles that extend through the slots;    a plurality of beams extending between the guideways; and    a plurality of mesh walkway plates extending between the guideways and supported by the beams and the lips for allowing passengers of the vehicle to disembark from the vehicle and the transit system in the event of a malfunction, the walkway plates allowing sunlight to pass through to the ground.    
     
     
         14 . The transit system of  claim 13 , further comprising a plurality of retainers extending cooperatively between the walkway plates and the lips for retaining the walkway plates on the lips.  
     
     
         15 . The transit system according to  claim 13 , wherein the vehicle has a side door for normal ingress and egress and front and rear emergency doors for emergency egress.  
     
     
         16 . The transit system according to  claim 15  wherein the emergency doors are hinged at lower edges to fold downward into a ramp to facilitate access to the walkway plates.  
     
     
         17 . The transit system of  claim 13 , further comprising: 
 a portal in one of the walkway plates for allowing a passenger on the walkway plates to descend below the walkway plates to the ground.